Field of the Invention
Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM). More specifically, embodiments presented herein provide a surfacing algorithm for designing and manufacturing 3D objects.
Description of the Related Art
CAD/CAM applications provide software modeling tools used to create designs for real-world three-dimensional (3D) objects. For example, a designer may use such a software application to create a 3D model of a constructible toy having a particular shape when inflated. Other examples include 3D computer models of sculpture, furniture, clothing, etc.
Regardless of the underlying object being modeled, a 3D model defines a set of geometry, such as a mesh of triangles or polygons or a set of non-uniform rational basis spines (nurbs), used to represent that 3D object. Once designed, the 3D model provides a template for realizing or manufacturing the modeled object. Typically, a designer manually creates a plan for manufacturing a model from the 3D geometry. For example, assume a 3D model representing an inflatable toy is to be manufactured as a set of cloth panels that may be sewn together. In such a case, the designer may interact with the modeling software to manually derive the shape of each cloth panel from the 3D geometry of the model. That is, the designer may engage in a trial and error process relying on intuition and tailoring skills to determine where to cut the 3D model to create seams of the panels. When sewn together, the resulting panels provide a physical realization of the 3D model. The process is similar for other objects. For example, a designer may identify individual pieces of a sculpture that can be joined using other forms of joinery, e.g., pop rivets used to assemble a metal sculpture from individual pieces of the 3D model.